I've updated the guidance for sending me articles, chiefly because I'm increasingly encountering problems with some file transfer services. The only one that seems to work every time is www.wetransfer.com. My updated checklist is below, but anyone wanting detailed guidance can email me for the full 'author pack'.

Please note this applies only to MEW, contact Martin or Diane to confirm how they wish to receive articles for ME.

ARTICLE SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

Use this list to help make sure your article submission is complete:

Your name and contact details

The Self-Billing agreement and all the pages of the Rights agreement

Text File with the article:

• Your name as you want it to appear in print
• With minimal formatting
• Saved as .DOC or .DOCX but .RTF or .ODT are fine.
• Numbered photo references in the text
• Do not include photos in the text
• Numbered list of captions at the end of the document
• Numbered figure references in the text

Photographs:

• Numbered to match the text references and captions
• Ideally as jpegs straight from the camera but if bigger than 4Mb each consider downsizing them or saving using a lower quality setting.
• Number screen shots as photos NOT figures
• If emailing from Apple Mail, put jpeg files into a zip folder before sending
• Separate, unmarked, copies of any images that have annotations on them
• Copyright information/permission for any images that are not your own including excerpts from manuals, websites or books

Drawings

• Figures numbered separately from photographs
• Scanned, hand-drawn figures are acceptable
• Any small sketches numbered separately from figures and photos
• Ideally as pdfs saved straight from your drawing program to minimise errors

Optional items you want me to have:

• Any extra notes
• List of references (these can be books, magazine articles or websites
• A document or PDF illustrating any special formatting that may be needed
• Any files to accompany the article that we can put on the website e.g. a spreadsheet. These normally won’t be edited so make sure they are neat, easily read and contain any copyright information.

Sending Your Files

You can email me in batches of up to 10Mb of attachments at a time.

For a lot of files please use www.wetransfer.com this is free and very easy to use. Please do not use Dropbox, Google Drive or other systems that may require me to have an account to access your files.

I do not have unlimited shortage space! If your files come to more than 100MB, you probably need to seriously consider reducing the filesize of your images.

Could all this be sent on an SD card?

I'd rather wetransfer, it's very easy to use and I don't end up being held responsible for an easily lost small bit of plastic (or having to drive all the way to the sorting office to collect if I'm not there to sign for a letter). USB keys can cause envelopes to split and fall out. Some people use CDs which are OK but occasionally they won't read properly, but I don't feel bound to return them.

Wetransfer is very easy, go to the website, choose the free option, enter mine and your email addresses, add a short message, drop your files on the window, the click send.

I get an email letting me know I have a week to download the files. I don't need any password or account or for it to be sent to a particular email address. There is no reduction is size or quality (as often happens with Apple emails), and I get all the files in a zip folder - some other solutions can force me to download many files one at a time.

Your files disappear after a week so you don't have to worry about them sitting with a third party for ever.

If the upload time is a worry to you, your images are probably too big

I'm not on wetransfer commission!

Neil

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 15/02/2019 18:31:21

Looks like using the free version might be 'safer' than the pemium account:

**LINK**

https://tonywebster.com/2018/02/wetransfer-security/

MichaelG.

I usually send Neil stuff by Dropbox but had a bigger article for Martin and used the free Wetransfer which is very easy to use as Neil says and saves me using up the free data limit on Dropbox so will use that in future.

Another Advantage of Wetransfer is the sender gets a message when the person the other end has downloaded the files so you know they have got it which you don't with Dropbox or snail mail.

Edited By JasonB on 15/02/2019 19:40:55

Is it only me who misread 'Wet transfer' and assumed it to be a euphemism...

.

No, Dave ... You are not alone in misreading

but my first thought was: 'Wet transfer' ... surely that's an ink-based process

MichaelG.

Thanks for the full reply. My query was prompted by your point about storage.

I can confirm the ease of use of WeTransfer from the submitter's end. Very simple to use and totally effective. Makes sending multiple photos over the net a pleasure instead of a chore.

Neil: Below is the last of the bullet points in your 'Checklist' above. I think you need a 'do not' in the last sentence.

• Any files to accompany the article that we can put on the website e.g. a spreadsheet. These normally won’t be edited so make sure they are neat, easily read and contain any copyright information.

Cheers, Tim

.

Sorry, Tim ... I think you are mistaken

I think Neil means "contain any information regarding copyright"

... as opposed to "contain others' copyrighted information"

Hopefully the Editor will give us a definitive interpretation of his words.

MichaelG.

Yes, Michael, you may be right. My confusion lies in the two checks requiring a 'yes' answer (neat and easily read) followed by one where only a 'no' answer will do. Unless - where you might be right, where the copyright is in regard to the article itself, in which case a note needs to be added to that effect. Or not.

Confused of Mid Wales - Tim

For clarity, if someone send me a zip folder full of files to go on here to accompany an article, I'm going to check it, but I'm not going to go through it putting in copyright credits. Third party files need to be either under an open licence or with permission, and it's the responsibility of the contributor to secure this. The full guidance makes this clear.

Neil

Hi Jason,

The way you use Dropbox, I do get an link I can download easily as a zip folder!

unfortunately there seem to be multiple ways to send dropbox content (simple download link, shared folder, sharable folder, editor rights and a link to the owners dropbox without any access rights...) all but the download link either involve a significant degree of faffing about (e.g. adding the folder to my dropbox, downloading the files, deleting the files (while avoiding deleting the author's originals), then deleting the backups because they count to filling up my dropbox and rendering it unusable) or fail completely.

Neil

Silly billies!

N.